Loss carries with it its own unique pain.
It unfolds slowly,
Revealing layers of grief and a myriad of emotions.
Loss is not isolated to the passing of a loved one from this world to the next.
Loss can be felt from the disconnection of any relationship.
Perhaps you are feeling the sadness of the loss of a friendship,
A breakup or a divorce,
An evolution that has left you distant from one you were once closely bonded to,
Or the ultimate finality that death brings.
Whatever ache you carry from your loss is real.
It deserves to be seen and felt and offered love.
Grief is the price we pay for truly loving.
The gifts you received from the time of your closeness with this individual are still with you.
Allow yourself to relax.
Exhale slowly and deeply,
Releasing all the emotion you have kept inside.
Let all of it out and breathe in permission.
Hold your breath for just a few moments and then release it again.
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Imagine yourself walking in a beautiful landscape.
You are on a path cut through tall grass that sways around you.
Ahead of you is a bridge over a clear stream of water and standing in front of the bridge is someone you miss.
You call their name and they smile and beckon to you.
You embrace.
You can smell them.
Feel the texture of their hair beneath your fingers,
Their warmth and shape in your arms.
You pull back and look into their face,
Taking in every contour and line,
The color of their eyes and the softness of their skin.
The part of you that they carved out feels whole.
Together you walk in the middle of the bridge and sit,
Dangling your legs over the gentle flow of the water below.
You hold hands and bask in the energy you feel from your togetherness,
Taking in the familiar sensation of their presence.
What feelings come up in this moment?
Let each one arise and acknowledge it.
What did knowing and having this person in your life add to who you are?
Express to this person your gratitude for their offerings to your growth through whatever you pass through as part of knowing them.
Tell them what they meant to you.
Allow them now to express their gratitude for your part in their life.
How did you learn from one another?
How did your relationship cultivate one another's goodness?
How are you changed from knowing them?
You might wish to ask a question.
Maybe it is for words of comfort or advice that they were so good at giving.
Ask them what do you want to share with me in this moment of my life?
Let their words penetrate.
Allow the gratitude and presence you feel swell in every breath in and heal in every breath out.
Stay here with them for as long as you need to.
When you feel ready to step away from the bridge and your loved one,
Take them in your arms once again.
Hold them with the tenderness and newfound certainty that they will always be here for you to return to when you need them.
Feel the assurance that their love and their influence has been written into your heart in a way that can never be lost and can always be accessed.
No matter where you are in time or space,
The fruits of that closeness will be near you and a part of who you are.
